DMM Revision: New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products

Effective July 10, 2022, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), in various sections, to implement changes related to Postal Service price adjustments.

On May 27, 2022, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) found that the July price adjustments proposed by the Postal Service may take effect as planned. Final prices are available under Docket No. R2022-1 (Order No. 6188) on the PRC website at prc.gov.

The Postal Service will publish these revisions in the DMM on July 10, 2022, which is when these standards and price adjustments become effective.

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

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200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels

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230 First-Class Mail

233 Prices and Eligibility

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4.0 Additional Eligibility Standards for Nonautomation Machinable First-Class Mail

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4.3 Price Application — Nonautomation Machinable — Letters

[Revise the text of 4.3 to read as follows:]

Nonautomation machinable letters are subject to AADC and mixed AADC prices only (including round-trip mailings with one optical disc).

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240 Commercial Mail USPS Marketing Mail

243 Prices and Eligibility

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6.0 Additional Eligibility Standards for Enhanced Carrier Route USPS Marketing Mail Letters and Flats

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6.3 Basic Price Enhanced Carrier Route Standards

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[Revise the title and text of 6.3.4 to read as follows:]

6.3.4 Basic Carrier Route Bundles on a 5-digit/Direct Container (Basic-CR Bundles/Container) Price Eligibility — Flats

The Basic-CR Bundles/Container discount applies to each piece in a carrier route bundle of 10 or more pieces that are palletized under 705.8.0 on a 5-digit carrier route or 5-digit scheme carrier route pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU entry, or palletized under 705.14.0 on a FSS scheme pallet (in a FSS Scheme bundle), or in a carrier route sack or tub under 245.9.3 and entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU .

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6.5 High Density and High Density Plus (Enhanced Carrier Route) Standards — Flats

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[Revise the title and text of 6.5.3 to read as follows:]

6.5.3 High Density Carrier Route Bundles on a 5-digit/Direct Container (High Density-CR Bundles/Container Discount Eligibility) — Flats

The High Density-CR Bundles/Container discount applies to 125 or more High Density-eligible pieces that are palletized under 705.8.0 on a 5-digit carrier route, 5-digit carrier routes, or 5-digit scheme carrier route pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU entry, or palletized under 705.14.0 on a FSS scheme pallet (in a FSS scheme bundle), or in a carrier route sack or tub under 245.9.3 and entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU.

[Add new section 6.5.4 to read as follows:]

6.5.4 High Density Plus Carrier Route Bundles on a 5-digit/Direct Container (High Density Plus-CR Bundles/Container Discount Eligibility) — Flats

The High Density Plus-CR Bundles/Container discount applies to 300 or more High Density Plus-eligible pieces that are palletized under 705.8.0 on a 5-digit carrier route, 5-digit carrier routes, or 5-digit scheme carrier route pallet entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU entry, or palletized under 705.14.0 on a FSS scheme pallet (in a FSS scheme bundle) or in a carrier route sack or tub under 245.9.3 and entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU.

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6.7 Saturation Enhanced Carrier Route Standards — Flats

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[Add new section 6.7.3 to read as follows:]

6.7.3 Saturation — (including EDDM) Carrier Route Bundles on a 5-digit/Direct Container (Saturation-CR Bundles/Container Discount Eligibility) — Flats

The Saturation-CR Bundles/Container discount applies to at least 90 percent or more of the active residential addresses or 75 percent or more of the total number of active possible delivery addresses on each carrier route that are palletized under 705.8.0 on a 5-digit carrier route, 5-digit carrier routes, or 5-digit scheme carrier route pallet entered at the origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU entry, or palletized under 705.14.0 on a FSS scheme pallet (in a FSS scheme bundle), or in a carrier route sack or tub under 245.9.3 and entered at an Origin (None), DNDC, DSCF, or DDU.

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500 Additional Mailing Services

503 Extra Services

1.0 Basic Standards for All Extra Services

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1.4 Eligibility for Extra Services

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Exhibit 1.4.1 Eligibility — Domestic Mail

 

EXTRA SERVICE

ELIGIBLE MAIL

ADDITIONAL COMBINED EXTRA SERVICES

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Insurance

Insurance Restricted Delivery

[Revise the “Note:” under “Insurance” in the column “EXTRA SERVICE” to read as follows:]

Note: Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail each include $100.00 of insurance; see 503.4.0.

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4.0 Insured Mail

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4.2 Insurance Coverage — Priority Mail

[Revise the introductory text of 4.2 and item a. to read as follows:]

Priority Mail pieces, including Priority Mail Return service, are insured against loss, damage, or missing contents, up to a maximum of $100.00, subject to the following:

a. Insurance coverage is provided against loss, damage, or missing contents and is limited to a maximum liability of $100.00 when the Priority Mail pieces bear an Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) or USPS retail tracking barcode (see 4.3.4) and the mailer pays retail or commercial prices.

[Delete item b. in its entirety and renumber current items c. through f. as items b. through e.]

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[Revise the text of renumbered item d. to read as follows:]

d. Insurance coverage under 4.2a is provided for Priority Mail pieces mailed as Priority Mail Open and Distribute, or Premium Forwarding Service.

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505 Return Services

1.0 Business Reply Mail (BRM)

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1.6 Additional Standards for Qualified Business Reply Mail (QBRM)

1.6.1 Description

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[Delete item a. in its entirety and renumber current items b. and c. as items a. and b. Add new item c. to read as follows:]

c. Is a letter weighing 3.5 ounces or less or card that is prepared to meet the automation-compatibility requirements in 201.3.0.

[Revise the text of items d. and e. to read as follows:]

d. Is authorized to mail at QBRM prices and fees under 1.6.2. During the authorization process, a proper ZIP+4 code is assigned to the mailer (under 1.6.2) for each QBRM to be returned under the system (one for card-priced pieces and one for letter-size pieces weighing up to and including 3.5 ounces).

e. Bears the proper ZIP+4 code, assigned by USPS, in the address of each piece. The ZIP+4 codes assigned for this program must be used only on the organization’s appropriate QBRM pieces.

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3.0 USPS Returns Service

3.1 Basic Standards

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3.1.3 Postage and Prices

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[Revise item 3.1.3c(1) to read as follows:]

1. Insurance is available for USPS Returns service (see 503.4.0). Insurance is included with the postage for Priority Mail Return service (see 503.4.2). Insurance for First-Class Package Return service and Ground Return service, and additional insurance for Priority Mail Return service is available to the account holder for a fee on packages that have the applicable STC embedded into the IMpb on the authentic USPS label with valid postage, and for which the account holder has provided electronic data that supports the value of the merchandise (see 503.4.3.1a). Only the account holder of record may file a claim (see 609). Except for Priority Mail Return service, mailers mailing a USPS Returns service package may obtain insurance at their own expense at the time of mailing by presenting an authentic USPS Returns label with valid postage affixed to the package at a Post Office retail unit to obtain the service.

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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.